So much homework!

I've been so busy since school started! All of my teachers seem to be piling on tests, quizzes, and homework.

But, fortunately, I can still manage to be happy because fall is coming! Leaves are beginning to turn orange, the wind is beginning to crisp up, and the temperature is going down. I don't particularly like any one season, but I do love that few weeks of transition every 3 months or so!

Remember me

Remember Me

Remember me when the years have passed,
when wretched aging has taken course
Oh how on rocky banks we’d danced
until our calloused feet were sore.
Laughing in the garden’s perfume,
far away from the bronzed sun.
While admiring the moon kissed tulips bloom,
the quiet calling of the clocks were shunned.
And now, as my ancient flesh decays,
withering into the unknown abyss
I vow to never forget the days,
of which I cannot help but reminisce.
Please, forget me not when I have passed,
for earthly flesh our memories will outlast.

It's been a while

It has been about a month since my last post. AP exams, school, and the thought of finals has kept me most preoccupied. I can't believe that school is ending next Thursday. That's under 2 weeks! Though many are excited for vacation, I am nervous; I only have 2 weeks to bring up my grades. Unfortunately, this semester's grades fall heavily on finals for me. Fantastic.

My Fair... Pygmalion?

I took on the challenge of reading Pygmalion, a play by George Bernard Shaw. It seemed short, easy, and relatively stress-free, so I read it last Saturday. In the middle of Act I, got the brilliant idea of watching My Fair Lady while following the play along in my book. So I opened up My Fair Lady on youtube, hooked my computer up to the TV, and watched. I was surprised by how much of the play was incorporated into the movie. The makers of My Fair Lady really brought Pygmalion to life. However, though there many similarities, some major changes were made to make the movie more continuous and... exciting.

The first major discord appeared in the second act. After Higgins accepts Eliza as a pupil, the movie shows the tedious and rigorous boot camp that poor Eliza is forced to endure. Surprisingly, however, the play does not show her training. Instead, it jumps from Higgins's and Pickering's bet to Eliza's first showcase. I really dislike the play for this. There are random jumps between acts where large chunks of time almost randomly disappear in a void.
This brings me to the next difference. In the movie, Eliza is first tested in high society at the derby. In the play though, Eliza is actually taken to Higgins's mother's house, where she meets Freddy. I personally prefer the derby, for it is far more exciting than tea at the Higgins's. However, it would be rather difficult for a theater to put on a full derby scene on stage. So, for practicality's sake, his mother's house will have to do.
Eliza's second debut also is portrayed differently in the movie than it is in the book. My Fair Lady shows Eliza at a grand ball, dancing with foreign princes. In the play however, Eliza is simply taken to the opera. Oh, and that entire scene where the linguist believes that Eliza is Hungarian royalty? It's not even portrayed in the play. In fact, that entire scene is cut out in the play, which really shocked and disappointed me.
Lastly, and possibly most importantly, Eliza's choice of men is not the same in both stories. In My Fair Lady, Eliza ends up with Higgins. She comes to love his rude and stubborn ways and ultimately chooses him over Freddy. However, in the play, Shaw informs the reader in the epilogue that Eliza in fact marries Freddy because she does not want to compromise her feminine independence. As Shaw put it, Eliza would "rather have Freddy pick up her slippers than have to pick up Higgins's slippers." I think that the makers of My Fair Lady chose their ending to simply make the viewers happy. To be truthful, I would be angry if Eliza and Freddy ended up together.

In the end, I really liked the movie better. Apart from the catchy show tunes, My Fair Lady had a continuity to it that Pygmalion lacked. The play had major time lapses that made the story seem to lack something important.
Anyway, I really enjoyed reading Pygmalion while watching My Fair Lady. It was fun. (:

Blogging White Noise: Part 1 Questions

1. How does Jack's Hitler Studies help him cope with his fear of death?
2. How is Jack's struggle to gain authority shown in this section?
3. What's the significance of Wilder's temper tantrum?
4. How does the motif of white noise appear in part 1?
5. Explain the significance of the scene at the burial plot.

Hamlet Monologue Parody

I came across this cute parody of Hamlet's monologue in Act III, scene i. Sorry it's in an odd formatting.

To eat, or not to eat, that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the stomach to suffer the slings and arrows of hunger, or to take mouths and by digesting end them.

To bloat, to eat, no more, and by eating we say we end the stomach ache and the thousand natural pangs that digestive systems are ere to. Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished.

To bloat, to eat, to eat. Perchance to fulfill? Ay, there’s the rub. For in that meal of nourishment what fulfillment may come must give us pause. There’s the respect that makes calamity of so long bulimia.

For who would bear the hunger and malnutrition of time? The food corporation’s wickedness, the proud anorexic’s contumely, the pangs of despis’d hunger, the law’s delay, and the spurns that a good appetite by the unworthy takes when you yourself your acquaintance could make with a perfectly good stingray.

Who would fardels bear to suffer under the veil of famine, but that the dread of something after the meal, the undiscovered course from whose satiation no feeder returns, puzzles the will, and makes us rather eat those fish we have, than swim to others that might not taste as good.

Thus conscience doth make dolphins of us all, and thus the native hue of resolution to feed is sicklied over with the pale cast of thought. And meals of great pith and moment with this regard, their ocean currents turn awry and lose the name of action.

Thus conscience doth make dolphins of us all

And thus the native hue of vegetarianism is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought.

Soft you now, fair Lionfish! — Nymph, in thy orisons. Be all my sins remembered.

Blogging White Noise: Discussion Question Response

3. Final Countdown: Is there some sort of irony regarding the main character's odd title on campus? There are many ironies to Jack’s title of chairman of the department of Hitler studies. One is the notion that a man clearly terrified of death is fascinated by a leader who systematically murdered thousands. This discord in Jack’s interests highlights his flawed logic, forming him into a quite unreliable character. Another irony is the general enthusiasm of Jack’s department. The Hitler studies division, Jack’s brainchild, was founded in 1968, around twenty short years after WWII. Rather than being shot down by skeptics, the subject thrived, and a Hitler conference is said to take place the following fall.

4. Quarter Rose: Why would any mother in their right mind force their children to spend their Friday night free-time watching television that upsetted them? Contrary to Quarter Rose, I have to agree with Babette’s unconventional parenting. In addition to encouraging family togetherness (or, regrettably, the lack thereof), the Friday TV ritual dampens the children’s love of television. Thus, the custom strips the false magnificence from TV programs and makes them rather mundane and ordinary. By making TV “unglamorized” and a “domestic sport,” the children lose interest in the “brain sucking” nonsense that TV can broadcast. In short, Babette is preventing her children from wasting away in front of the TV, desiring a false reality that TV so readily presents.

9. Fettuccini Alfredo: Why is the school evacuation played off as not too serious? There is little discussion of it... why? It is odd that only two brief paragraphs are reserved for an event of this magnitude. For one who is overwhelmed by the omnipresence of death, Jack seems strangely nonchalant about this mysterious, and perhaps lethal, happening. I believe that this snippet concerning the disaster serves to enhance the palpable reality of death that begins to pervade Jack’s life. Before this incident, Jack’s life seemed relatively harmless; his anxiety over death seemed almost like a childish delusion. However, compounded with other seemingly inconsequential events such as the toxicity of gum chewing, the school evacuation hints at the ominous truth behind Jack’s qualms. As the novel progresses, this truth becomes frighteningly apparent, ensnaring Jack in a shroud of fatal and infinite darkness.

Watching Star Wars!

I rewatched Star Wars Episode III yesterday. I came by this earlier and thought it was fitting. Enjoy!

Blogging White Noise: Questions

1. What is the significance of Jack's wonder at the station wagons?
3. What evidence of white noise is already evident in the novel?
5. How does death seem to have an omnipotent presence in the novel? What does this signify?
7. How are Jack and Murray foils to one another?
9. Explain the significance behind Jack's almost foolhardy commitment to his Hitler Studies class.
11. What's the deal with the discussion about the fatality of gum?

Coming Soon!

This has been a successful spring break.

Things I did over break:

• Sleepwalked


• Watched The King's Speech (again)


• Watched Beauty and the Beast (for the first time, yes I know. Pitiful)


• Watched Peter Pan (both animated and live action versions) for the first time


• Watched Love Actually ♥


• Watched Eclipse (Ugh. Horrible movie)


• Tumbled like there was no tomorrow


• Ordered Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 1


• Made it to the final level of my video game


• Went to Dairy Queen, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell


• Gained five pounds. : 9

Well, I think that's pretty good considering I was in Fort Fun all week. [:

I think I sleepwalked a few nights ago.

The idea didn't hit me until now though. On Friday, I went upstairs to sleep as usual, but woke up downstairs on the couch. I never go downstairs in the middle of the night, save for the occasional sip of water. I truly have no recollection of ever getting up and physically leaving my room. Weird.

The CUTEST Thing! ♥

I saw this on Tumblr and absolutely loved it. :'D

Floating Trees

Today, I decided to read the poem of the day on poetryfoundation.org. I found it to be quite enjoyable. Here it is:

Floating Trees

by C. D. Wright

a bed is left open to a mirror

a mirror gazes long and hard at a bed

light fingers the house with its own acoustics

one of them writes this down

one has paper

bed of swollen creeks and theories and coils

bed of eyes and leaky pens

much of the night the air touches arms

arms extend themselves to air

their torsos turning toward a roll

of sound: thunder

night of coon scat and vandalized headstones

night of deep kisses and catamenia

his face by this light: saurian

hers: ash like the tissue of a hornets’ nest

one scans the aisle of firs

the faint blue line of them

one looks out: sans serif

“Didn’t I hear you tell them you were born

on a train”

what begins with a sough and ends with a groan

groan in which the tongue’s true color is revealed

the comb’s sough and the denim’s undeniable rub

the chair’s stripped back and muddied rung

color of stone soup and garden gloves

color of meal and treacle and sphagnum

hangers clinging to their coat

a soft while bulb to its string

the footprints inside us

iterate the footprints outside

the scratched words return to their sleeves

the dresses of monday through friday

swallow the long hips of weekends

a face is studied like a key

for the mystery of what it once opened

“I didn’t mean to wake you

angel brains”

ink of eyes and veins and phonemes

the ink completes the feeling

a mirror silently facing a door

door with no lock no lock

the room he brings into you

the room befalls you

like the fir trees he trues her

she nears him like the firs

if one vanishes one stays

if one stays the other will or will not vanish

otherwise my beautiful green fly

otherwise not a leaf stirs

Blogging Hamlet:: Act II, Scene ii

1. Summary: Act II scene ii is a scene of mammoth proportions. I'll try my best to summarize it in a clear and concise fashion, but I make no promises.
This scene opens with the arrival of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, both of whom are Hamlet's friends from Whittenberg. The King and Queen, concerned about Hamlet's lunatic behavior, send the pair to spy on him. Polonius then enters, announcing the return of Voltimand, an ambassador to Norway, who brings news of its aged king. Voltimand begins his tale. The Norwegian king rebuked Fortinbras for attempting to attack Denmark. However, when Fortinbras vowed to never again attack Denmark, the king gave Fortinbras a grand sum of money and urged him to attack Poland instead. Now, Fortinbras asks permission to march through Denmark to reach Poland. Relieved that Fortinbras failed in his attempt to attack Denmark, Claudius hastily announces that he will see to the business later and dismisses Voltimand. Polonius then expresses his own qualms regarding Hamlet. He ironically begins an unnecessarily grandiloquent explanation on the importance of succinctness before finally offering his own explanation for Hamlet's apparent madness: the prince is madly in love with his daughter, Ophelia. After he reads one of Hamlet's many love letters, Polonius sees Hamlet on the balcony and quickly concocts a plan. He decides to send Ophelia to talk to Hamlet. Hiding in the curtains, he, the king, and the queen, will be able to hear the couple's conversation. The King and Queen assent to this plan and exit, leaving Polonius alone with Hamlet. Polonius attempts to strike up a conversation with the latter, but the only result seems to be a display of cold irritability from Hamlet. The prince even calls Polonius a "fishmonger." Polonius leaves, observing that while some of Hamlet's responses were seemingly erratic, they were actually "pregnant" with veiled insults. (Almost done!) Rosencrantz and Guildenstern meet the unhappy Hamlet who laments his disappointments of Denmark. Hamlet then pressures his friends until they admit to have been sent as spies. Rosencrantz then mentions a theater troupe that is performing near the castle. Hamlet becomes excited and invites his friends to stay at Elsinore. In the castle, Hamlet warmly welcomes the troupe and asks a member to perform an excerpt depicting the fall of Troy and the deaths of the Trojan king and queen. Hamlet is deeply moved by the scene, and accompanies the actor to his room. Along the way, Hamlet asks if the troupe could perform The Murder of Gonzago with a few added lines by himself. The actor accepts. Hamlet then goes to a private room and begins his monologue, which will be explored in the upcoming sections.

2. Quote:

"What’s Hecuba to him or he to Hecuba

That he should weep for her? What would he do

Had he the motive and the cue for passion

That I have? He would drown the stage with tears

And cleave the general ear with horrid speech,

Make mad the guilty and appall the free..."
~Hamlet, lines 518 to 523

I really found Hamlet's monologue to be quite interesting. To me, the passage almost gives off a general air of confused bipolarity. His (perhaps) feigned madness seems to trickle into his speech as he jumps from self-pity to incredulousness to more self-pity to fearful doubt to ravenous bloodthirstiness. Anyway, I can relate to Hamlet in this excerpt as he incredulously observes the tears the actor had shed during his monologue. I'm not saying that I too wallow in self pity, but I understand where he is coming from. These lines effectively depict the internal strife Hamlet is experiencing. I also sense that Hamlet is almost tempted to express his knowledge to others from the way he broods over what would happen if the actor knew the horrific acts of Claudius.

3. Reaction to Polonius:
To me, Polonius comes off as just a petty, unworthy henchman who has delusions of grandeur. Surprisingly, instead of being ticked off as Hamlet is at Claudius's goon, I am finding myself rather enjoying his shallow complacency. I must admit I laughed at his topsy-turvy speech on the merits of conciseness. I also found his intellectual defeat at the hands of Hamlet to be quite entertaining. How can an old man be out witted by a half-crazed college student? Lastly, I loved how the actor from the movie portrayed Polonius during the actor's monologue. Trying to redeem himself after Hamlet chastises him for being philistine, Polonius vaguely says "that's good, that's good" in a desperate attempt to make himself look cultured. Nice try Polonius.

My view of Polonius:

Watching Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets!

There's a Harry Potter marathon on ABC! I just cant' help thinking of Hamlet every time I see Gilderoy Lockhart.

See the similarity? (:

Hamlet Response

I really liked She Said She Said's concise blog post about Hamlet, Act I Scene ii. We shared many of the same thoughts about Hamlet's father's ghost, like why doesn't the ghost speak to anyone but Hamlet? Is he going crazy? These are a few ideas that I also had. Well, great minds think alike, right? :D

Blogging Hamlet, Act I, Scene iv

1. Summary: Hamlet, Marcello, and Horatio stand guard outside Elsinore to watch for the ghost. Hamlet explains the Danish custom of carousing, and bitterly imagines the other countries' negative view of the aristocracy of Denmark. The ghost then appears and beckons Hamlet. Hamlet's companions warn Hamlet about following the phantom, believing that he could get harmed. Nevertheless, Hamlet follows the ghost.

2. Quote: "But to my mind, though I am native here and to the manner born, it is a custom more honored in the breach than the observance. This heavy-handed revel east and west makes us traduced and taxed of other nations. They clep us drunkards, with swinish phrase soil our addition; and indeed it takes from our achievements, though performed at height, the pith and marrow of attribute."
During these lines, I really feel for Hamlet and his kingdom. I understand where Hamlet is coming from; the Danish reputation really rests on the king's shoulders, and by acting irresponsibly, Claudius is soiling Denmark's reputation. This, unfortunately, is taking foreigners' attention away from the merits of the nation and towards its faults. How sad.

3. Reaction to the Ghost:
Finally! Some phantasmic action! Unlike the ghosts and witches in Macbeth, I really enjoyed the ghost in Hamlet. I think my intrigue springs from the movie, which did a nice job of portraying the eerie late Hamlet. In this scene, he is silent, which poses some questions. 1) Why can't he speak in front of Hamlet's friends? This is the second time he has refused to speak to them. 2) If the ghosts didn't speak to Hamlet's friends, is it possible that that he isn't speaking to mortals at all? In that case, is Hamlet hallucinating the bulk of the next scene? Hmmm... seems suspicious.

Poem of the day!

This was the poem of the day on poetryfoundation.org. Enjoy! :)

Elegance
by Linda Gregg Linda Gregg

All that is uncared for.
Left alone in the stillness
in that pure silence married
to the stillness of nature.
A door off its hinges,
shade and shadows in an empty room.
Leaks for light. Raw where
the tin roof rusted through.
The rustle of weeds in their
different kinds of air in the mornings,
year after year.
A pecan tree, and the house
made out of mud bricks. Accurate
and unexpected beauty, rattling
and singing. If not to the sun,
then to nothing and to no one.

Rereads.

Recently, I've found myself rereading a lot of books. Most of these we've read in class, but a few have been personal favorites that I read on my own free time. Here's a list:

1. Great Expectations: I've forgotten how much I truly loved this book. The plot is so cynically twisted that it gives me shivers. Of course, like every reread, I've picked on little subtleties that I hadn't picked up my freshman year. For example, at Mrs. Joe's funeral, Pumblechook yells "handkerchiefs at the ready!" and systematically instructs the mourners to wipe their tears in a rather oddly general-like fashion. These fine points slipped my mind the first time through. I also loved noticing the hints to later events that seemed so blatantly evident my second read through. I became excited at my sort of omnipresence whenever I came across these. It felt that I had some secret that no one else knew about.

2. A Man for All Seasons: I came across this in my room while I was cleaning out my bookshelf the other day. I read it all in one sitting (it probably took an hour or so). I was amazed by how much my PoV concerning Sir Thomas More had changed. I had always viewed him as a martyr, but it was only after my reread that I had fully come to appriciate how he stood by his belifs so whole heartedly. I distinctly remember a fishbowl we had about this book in freshman Block. Someone had actually chided More for beign strong and not giving in to King Henry VIII. I think that if we had had the same fishbowl now, this comment would have not been made due to our increased maturity.

3. Little Women: I absolutely adore this book. It is a perfect, cheerful, light read fit for any leisure filled day. I read it in about two hours and fully understood the playful humor in the book this time around. It was definately enjoyable to reread!

4. Pride and Prejudice: I had read this book and Jane Eyre and Robinson Crusoe in 8th grade when I was over at my relatives' house, bored to death by lack of children my age. We were staying over at their house for a whopping month, and luckily, the my relatives' college aged daughter had left a few books in her bookshelf. Due to my boredom and the availability of books, I read for that month. However, as an 8th grader, Pride and Prejudice's full meaning did not entirely enter my head. This past reread has allowed me to understand not only understand the more complicated aspects of 18th century English, but to understand the major themes in the novel. On a side note, I really enjoyed Pride and Prejudice more than Sense and Sensibility.

Kindle! :D

I'm now the proud owner of a black Amazon Kindle. Initially, when my mom brought it home, I was skeptical, because I didn't think a machine could ever replace a book. But now, while I do still prefer books, I've come to enjoy the convenience of having multiple books in a compact device. (:

The only problem I see with the Kindle is the fact that it's rather difficult to maneuver through the book. Also, there's a weird black and white transition screen that pops for a split second before the next page shows up. Yuck.

Nevertheless, I've already downloaded Hamlet, and almost all of the classics are free, so I think the Kindle will soon become my portable AP Lit study companion. I'm really excited! I love the screen, which doesn't even look like a screen. It has no glare and kind of looks like a printed sheet of paper. It's really neat.

Blogging Hamlet: Act 1, Scene 2

1. Summary:
The scene opens with King Claudius's speech to his court, explaining his marriage to Gertrude. Claudius claims he misses his brother dearly, but becomes optimistic as he looks towards the future. Laertes asks for permission to return to France, and Claudius agrees, heartily giving his blessing. Claudius then chides Hamlet on how he has been mourning his father's death for to long. He does not wish for Hamlet to study in Whittenberg again, and asks Hamlet to stay in the castle. After the the king, queen, and courtiers leave, Hamlet begins to unload all his inner thoughts and troubles. However, is is cut short when Marcello, Bernando, and Horatio enter the room. They tell Hamlet of the sightings of his father's ghost, and Hamlet wishes he could have been there. He makes up his mind to look for his father's ghost when night comes.

4. Quote from the scene:
"Oh that this too too sullied flesh would melt,
Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew!
Or that the Everlasting had not fixed
His canon 'gainst self slaughter! Oh God, God."


I basically fell in love with Hamlet's soliloquy on pages 27 and 28. The passage highlights Hamlet's immense anguish at his father's untimely death a quite beautiful way. For example, Hamlet does not simply want to commit suicide. Rather, he wishes his "too too sullied flesh would melt... into a dew." His inner torment is expressed as he remarks how "weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable" the world now seems to him. He is tortured by the fact that in a mere month, his father passed away and his mother hastily married his uncle. He feels strangely misunderstood as he is alienated from his kingdom; it seems to him that he is the only mourner amidst an unwarranted celebration. He tenderly remembers his father, an "excellent king," and is confused by the conflicting images of his lovingly devoted mother prior to his father's death, and his blissfully apathetic mother after his father's passing. He curses the "wicked speed" but quickly quiets down when he hears someone approaching.


5. Reaction to Claudius:
King Claudius is frustrating me. His monologue on page 25 gave a strange urge to punch someone in the face. Hamelet is obviously mourning his father's death, but does Claudius leave him alone? No! He treats Hamelet's grief as a sin, condemning his nephew as one "of impious stubborness." He taunts Hamlet by calling his "mind impatient" and his "heart unfortified." He even blames Hamlet for finding "faults in heaven" and being "against the dead." In short, Claudius is actually treating Hamlet as one who is blatantly against his late father. What uncle does that? An uncle who's up to no good, that's who. You may have read my previous post about how I heard that Hamlet was like The Lion King. Well so far, it's sure turning out to be that way. In the movie, Simba has an evil uncle who gains the throne after the king's death. I'm going to make a prediction here - Claudius killed Hamlet's father.

A poem by me! (:

I wrote this poem when I was suffering from writer's block last week when writing the ATPH rough draft.

Writer’s Block.
By: Me
I’m staring blankly at the paper,
wondering which prompt I should choose.
Should I focus my paper on irony
or allusions of which there are so few?

But of course it must be symbols,
just see how they bounce off the page.
But I can’t think. What is it about McCarthy
that leaves me in such a daze?

I quickly flip through the book
and see horses, blood, and Alejandra.
I stop – my mind is sidetracked.
Suddenly I’m humming Lady Gaga.

I try to put on my best poker face
as I see my mom pass the door.
Can she tell that I’m not working?
I’ve been at this since half past four.

“Crap,” I say as my mom taps the door,
calling me down for dinner.
I guess it’s alright if I skip a meal.
It won’t hurt if I get a little thinner.

“Maybe a little break will do me good,”
I think as I open up internet explorer.
Then an hour later I find myself
still staring at pictures on Tumblr.

I open up a new blank word
(the internet tabs – I close them).
But instead of typing a masterpiece on McCarthy,
I write instead this poem.

It’s a quarter after ten
and my paper still isn’t finished.
But maybe if I show Mr. Hill these thought out verses,
I’ll earn a little extra credit.

Little Women

I recently read Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott. I think it's a wonderful book! It is set in the Civil War era and centers around the four March children: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy.

Here's a quick overview of the characters' personalities:







So yeah. The novel really follows the girls as they grow up. However, it's not a tiring coming of age novel (I really dislike those), but rather a cute, fun, and easy read! I especially loved Jo and Mr. Baher together. ♥

Here is an excerpt from one of Jo's poems that I really liked.
“Hither, hither from thy home,
Airy sprite, I bid thee come!
Born of roses, fed on dew,
Charms and potions canst thou brew?
Bring me here, with elfin speed,
The fragrant philter which I need.
Make it sweet and swift and strong,
Spirit, answer now my song!”

Act 1, Scene 1

1. Summary: It is night in Elsinore, Denmark, and a night guard named Bernando is watching the grounds with a fellow guard named Marcello when Horatio, a friend of Prince Hamlet, arrives. Bernando and Marcello discuss an odd happening that has been occurring for the past two days: the ghost of the recently late King Hamlet seemingly walks about at night sporadically. Horatio, of course, doesn’t believe this. However, the ghost appears at that moment, astonishing Horatio. He notes that the ghost is clad in armor, and assumes that the ghost is warning the kingdom of an impending attack. However, before much more can be said, the vision disappears. In a few moments, however, it reappears, and this time, Horatio tries to speak to it. Unfortunately, dawn arrives and the phantom vaporizes once more before it has a chance to speak.
2. "What art thou that usurp'st this time of night,/Together with that fair and warlike form/In which the majesty of buried Denmark/Did sometimes march? By heaven, I charge thee, speak!" ~Horatio, lines 50-53
3. Coming soon!

Here's a quick illustration:

Oops. I started this before I found out about the "Odd" and "Normal" thing. Sorry.

Spoiler alert!

If you don’t know/haven’t read Hamelt, I would advise you not to read the following.

I’m really excited for Hamlet partially because it gives me an excuse to watch The Lion King again. From what I heard, the story of a prince whose father is slain by a jealous brother who flees his kingdom and lives with two great guys for years before finally returning to avenge his father’s death after seeing his father's apparition is not the brainchild of Disney, but rather Shakespeare. Of course, I’ve been told that Disney made some minor alterations. If The Lion King went perfectly with the book, Serabi (Simba’s mom) would have married Scar, and Simba himself would have died. But who really wants to see that?

Anyway, I’m super excited for Hamlet. (:
In my hype, I drew a little lion on the top of the Hamlet blogging instructions.














And then revamped it on paint:















:D
♥

Haikus...

When I'm bored in class, I tend to write haikus. This past week especially, my haiku writing has increased twofold, possibly due to the teacher-in-service on friday (:D)
Here are a few of them.

1. Gnawing at my insides
The loathsome, vile C Lunch
Hunger you devil.

2. Take red and yellow,
Add some orange, green, purple,
and blue: a rainbow!

3. AP Chem:
Delta H sub F,
When will this suffering end?
Oh yes, after May.

4. Soft snow swirling,
Outside, a small brown doe stares
At the breaking dawn.

5. Snow on the windshield
As I am driving, homebound
Through the falling snow

Excited! :D

Ahh~ My friend gave me this fancy bookmark as a (really) belated b-day present! I love it and can't wait to use it! :D

Bravo Quarter Rose~

I really enjoyed Quarter Rose's Idea prompt:

How does McCarthy's portrayal of the modern western myth compare and contrast to the typical idea associated with the "American western myth?"

I really was impressed with the depth of this prompt. I would begin with the oddly uneventful opening and then expand upon the anticlimactc death of Blevins. These would be two examples contrasting the typical western myth. However, the novel did portray a man's search for his love, Alejandra. This would be a similarity between the two.

"He thought about Alejandra and he remembered her the first time he ever saw her passing along the cienaga road in the evening with the horse still wet from riding it in the lake."

“He rode with the sun coppering his face and the red wind blowing out of the west across the evening land and the small desert birds flew chittering among the dry bracken and horse and rider and horse passed on and their long shadows passed in tandem like the shadow of a single being. Passed and paled into the darkening land, the world to come.”

I thought this was the perfect image to represent the final lines of the novel. It shows a beautifully red sunset with three horses silhouetted in the foreground. For me, it shows promise of an optimistic, unknown future. (:

Bird.

Poe-etic, by Joao Lauro

Super Bowl Predictions?

I, quite frankly, couldn't care less about the outcome of the game. Actually, I don't even know which two teams are playing Sunday. However, I do care about the commercials! :DD

This is my favorite commercial from last year:

A Super Bowl commercial is 3 million dollars! :O

I read that GM has five of them this year. Wow.

~xE_Ax

Green Emotion

Green, I see all around.
This emotions drapes me and reflects all around.
You might think its nature's wonder,
Or God's well-thought design.
No, green is the light of my life,
Green is the colour of my mind,
Green is the way of my mind.
Story books say jealousy kills you.
But in its shade i grow,
to be better than all of you.

Shadows on the Wall

I stay wide awake,
there are blinking lights in the dark.
I blink my eyes more.
Leaves me wondering whether the pace matches.
There is a bee's animated dance in my mind.
I thrash it into pulp to shut the hum in my ears.
Blood crawls out through my ears.
I wonder why?
I touch on my ears.
I can feel the sloshy liquid on my fingers,
But cannot see the wild red.

Blinking lights in the dark.
My eyes shutter repeatedly.
up and down.
Up and down.

I fix my sight into the air,
my eyes roll around.
Blank goes my thin memory

I can see shadows on the wall.
They are ghosts of my past.
They trail into my memory chip,
I magically try to block them away.

Sweat beads tremble on my forehead!
While i hear someone scream,
"Mad mind"!

Why can't math be this fun?

Ok I KNOW this isn't Lit related, but I felt a compelling urge to share this video with everyone. It's simply amazing.

Anyway I've subscribed to her- and I suggest you do the same. Her videos are great! :D

The Reading Challenge Part Uno.

So I've been reading The Master by Colm Toibin. It's quite good! I really like the writing style; it's oddly formal, but at the same time strangely addicting. It's technically pop-fiction, but there are some passages that are really quite beautiful.

Here's a passage I enjoyed:
"He loved walking up and down the room, beginning a new sentence, letting it snake ahead, stopping it for a moment, adding a phrase, a brief pause, and then allowing the sentence to gallop to an elegant and fitting conclusion. He felt now that all of his working life had been leading up to this loud freedom, and after a few months he knew that he would not be able to return to pen and paper, to unmechanical solitude." ~pg 120

I'm renting The Master from Mr. Hill's library. If you're interested in reading the book, that's where to find it! (Once I'm done, of course.) :D
~xE_Ax

Snowmageddon! How did you spend it?

For the past three days, it seems that I have had all the freedom in the world. However, I don't think I utilized this freedom to the best of my ability. For the first two days of the Snowpocalypse, I actually studied. That's right. Studied. I had a huge chem test and a math make up test to study for, and studying for those tests really took up most of my first two days. By the third day, however, I'd had enough. I woke up, found no one at home, realized there was a closing, and made my way down to the basement where I played video games for the rest of the day. My Wii broke, so I resorted to playing my awesome GameCube. I played Luigi's Mansion, Super Smash Bros, and Paper Mario and the Thousand Year Door. Yup, I had a Mario-themed day. Classic.

~xE_Ax

I'm speechless.

AMAZING. I applaud these people for making such a great movie for such a great cause~!

The Horses in ATPH.

I used to wonder about the book's title. However, after this past reading, I've begun to understand the meaning of it. Horses are all over the place! Rawlins and John Grady find work at the Hacienda de Nuestra Senora de la Purisima Concepcion (God that's a mouthfull) which literally means "Ranch of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception" (Irony, maybe?). At the ranch there are sixteen horses. After showing Don Hector his gift with horses, John Grady helps Hector breed a magnificent stallion. Lastly, the Rawlins and Grady are out in the mountains roping horses when they are found by the greyhounds.


Words cannot describe how happy I was when I saw Blevins return to the story. I find it extremely amusing that he had to return to Encantada to retrieve his gun; regaining his horse wasn't good enough for him. It's purely by coincidence that the three meet again in jail. (Well actually, I was kind of expecting this from a novel, but still.) I see Blevins as a sort of enigmatic character. I can't seem to figure him out. On one hand, he's an oversensitive boy scared of lightning, and on the other, he's a daring stuntsman and brilliant shooter who will fight and kill for anything that is rightfully his. Maybe this doubt will clear up later in the novel.


OHMYGOD I TAKE THAT BACK. What is this???!!!!??? That stupid captain killed Blevins? What's wrong with him?? Or rather, what's wrong with McCarthy? What was the point of Blevins in the novel anyway? I mean what did he do? I thought he was going to be a character that appeared in the beginning of the novel and reappeared later, making a significant impact on the plot. But I guess not!!! This is so disheartening.


~xE_Ax

The best of the interwebs.

I could never pick one site to be my favorite. If I was forced to be on one site for the rest of my life, I couldn't do it. I could never make the choice. If I was able to pick two sites, however, I think I might be able to do so without much difficulty.

My 2 favorite sites:
1. Facebook
2. Tumblr

Of course I would have to pick facebook. My social life, sadly, pretty much revolves around facebook and facebook alone. Without this paragon of social networking sites, my life would be in ruin. I would loose connections with literally hundreds of people. Dx
My second choice is tumblr. I lovelovelove that site. It's a blogging site that's not quite like blogger. I think they refer to themselves as a "microblogging" site. It's fun and addicting! If you do not have a tumblr, I would definately recommend that you get one. (:

~xE_Ax

Oh the things I'd do for extra credit.

I thought I'd do virtually anything for extra credit. And today, I realized was right. I've written last minute essays, researched obscure facts, and done extra powerpoints.
But now, I can add another thing to my list. Public humiliation.
I'm doing the Poetry Out Loud contest tomorrow and I already have this feeling that it will not go well. My second poem is only 30 words and I'm going to be reciting alongside great public speakers. Fantastic.
Wish me luck! I'm going to need it.

A Poem I wrote...

This is a poem I wrote some time ago. I just thought I'd want to share it with you guys. Enjoy! (:

 

A Poem
By: Me

What’s a poem but mastery of sense,
Of complex grammar wrought with greatest care,
Of meters, lines, and glistening ornaments.
Steered by winds of wise that to none compare.
A dress of silk so greatly sewn it seems
So seamless, by every tailor its sought;
So perfect that it flows in glossy streams
And sings much softer than a cradle rocks.
From where does it come? This good, loving hand
though sometimes amateur, forever deft
Each syllable and tiny turn is planned
‘Till words do disappear and art is left.
It touches lands that kiss mighty seas --
A poem is beauty, and all of these.

 

~xE_Ax

Nocturne Poetry Analysis

I can't seem to get my poem on this post without completely screwing up the formatting, so I'm just going to post the link to it. (:

Nocturne, by Li  Young Lee
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=171756

A nocturne by definition is a piece that is inspired by the night. With this in mind, nocturnes are typically calm and peaceful. However, Nocturne, by Li-Young Lee, is the exact opposite. With its vividly grotesque and distressing imagery, Nocturne embodies a tone of insecurity and fear. The poem begins with the “scraping of iron on iron.” The malicious wind doesn’t “quit,” but prolongs the grinding noise by slowly “dragging back and forth.” The sound is unpredictable; at times it is “faint, far,” but suddenly becomes “close, just beyond the screened door.” The irregularity of the sound adds to its spitefully frightening nature, for the sound seems to exist simply to scare those who are jumpy or anxious in the dark. Lee then intensifies the eerie bleakness by comparing the unsettling sound to a suspicious stalking man who “squats in the dark” “beyond the screen door.” This personification ties the sound to a very real threat. Lee continues by listing a number of disturbing images that have a likeness to this sound; all of which climax into an eventual representation of chaos and disgust. Lee then concludes by ambiguously warning that “something” is “loose” outside that should not be free. By using “something,” rather than a concrete image, Lee hints that the threat does not have to be a person, an animal, or even a thing of this world. By leaving it up to the imagination of the reader, Lee effectively adds another layer of fear into his poem.

Food for Thought. (:

Ironically, I just finished a game of 20 Questions before starting the assignment. (:

Setting

1. Consistantly, there are beautiful passages depicting the scenery around the travelers. What effect do these passages have?

2. Why is the setting of the desert so important?

Characters

3. Based on what we know about John Grady's parents and upbringing, is it a surprise that he turned out the way he did?

4. How are Rawlins and Blevins alike, even though they do not get along?

5. How could John Grady be a Christ figure?

6. Why do Rawlins and Blevins not get along?

7. What is Blevins's real name?

8. Why does a man try and buy Blevins?

9. Mary Catherine Barnett. What's her significance?

10. What's the deal with Blevin's horse?

Action

11. What is the significance of the boys separating from each other?

12. Where are Rawlins and Grady at the end of Part I?

13. What's with the thunderstorm and lightning?

14. Do you think it is odd that their ride has been relatively conflict free? It is the Wild West after all.

Style

15. What's the deal with the lack of quotation marks?

16. How does McCarthy use local color in his novel?

17. What purpose do the longwinded sentences serve?

18. Does this novel follow a quest pattern? If so, how?

19. How is the stereotypical West being depicted?

20. Why do you think McCarthy is being so ambiguous?

Best movie in the world! :)

The King's Speech is by far the best movie I have ever seen. It's sweet, funny, and serious all at the same time. And hey, as an added bonus, everyone is speaking in British accents. ;D
I loved how in-depth the characters were in the film; mainly Bertie (or King George VI) and Lionel. Lionel is played by Geoffry Rush, who also played Barbossa from the Pirates of the Caribben movies. Yeah. I was impressed too.
Anyway The King's Speech nominated for best picture at the golden globes and quite frankly I think it deserves it! I'll be behind The King's Speech all the way!!!

~xE_Ax

My Reading Challenge!

So I've decided to challenge myself in the next few weeks. My goal is to find 5 ordinary, teenage-directed, pop-fic books that have surprisingly spectacular diction in them. This whole idea started when I was reading The City of Bones by Cassandra Clay last year. I was simply blown away by the imagery that book had!

I mean really: the furniture emerges out of the murky depths of the spacious rooms “like icebergs through fog.” The greenhouse, with “glossy green shrubs” and plants with “petals medallioned with golden pollen”, gives off a “soapy” scent that hits Clary “soft as the padded blow of a cat’s paw.” The Manhattan skyline glimmers and “burns like cold jewels.”

That's amazing! And to think those quotes came from a simple "storybook" (as my mom calls popular fiction).
So over the next few weeks, I'm determined to find 5 ordinary books with not-so-ordinary diction. I'll keep you posted. Wish me luck! (:

~xE_Ax

All the Pretty Horses: Western Parenting

One character that I found interesting in ATPH was Grady's mother. She is only thirty six and longs for a life of adventure outside the ranch. I'm really surprised by the extent to which McCarthy goes when describing the Western stereotype. It seems a bit overdone. Grady's mother also wants to try her hand in acting. I guess this hasn't changed since Grady's time; even today many people find it exciting to become involved with the show biz. Anyway, Grady's mother also doesn't speak of his father, and later Franklin reveals that the two have been offically divorced. I thought the scene where Grady bids farewell to his father is also interesting. I thought it was cute the way Grady has difficulty saying goodbye.  (:

~xE_Ax

So I've been doing my research...

I looked up some facts about McCarthy/ATPH. Here are some of the interesting ones I've found:

1. ATPH is part of the Border Trilogy. The second and third books are The Crossing and Cities of the Plain respectively.
2. The movie ATPH stars Matt Damon and Penelope Cruz. It's supposed to be terrible.
3. The book (published in 1992) won many awards such as U.S. National Book Award as well as the National Book Critics Circle Award. This was due to the romantism that McCarthy decided to put into ATPH. His previous works were supposed to be very bleak.
4. He wrote No Country for Old Men.
5. McCarthy is said to be very secluded and isolated. He lives in Santa Fe currently.
6. The Road was featured in Oprah's Book Club. Due to this, McCarthy gave his first interview on the Oprah Show in 2007.

These are a few interesting tid bits I found. Hope you enjoyed them! (:

~xE_Ax

To my fellow AP Lit-ers:

The movie Jane Eyre stars Mia Wasikowska (from Alice in Wonderland) and Michael Fassbender ( from Inglourious Basterds).  Personally, Fassbender is not at all representative of the Rochester that I had pictured, but I'm still extremely excited to see this movie! It comes out before the AP exam (March 11th), so I hope it will serve as a good exam review!

~xE_Ax

No Commas, No Quotation Marks, No Interest.

Right now, I have read a whopping 7 pages in All The Pretty Horses (ATPH)  by Cormac McCarthy and quite frankly, I'm feeling a mix of confusion and irritation.
I think these feelings started with the monster sentence on pages 1 and 2 and the lack of quotation marks on the second page. Although I do applaud McCarthy for his unconventional take on the rules and conventions of grammar, I have to admit I am getting rather frustrated with it.
So if you haven't noticed, I'm not liking the book so far, but you never know - I may start liking it; I'm only on the 7th page.

Anywhoo... there is one paragraph that intrigued me. The first full paragraph on page 7 gave a snapshot into the cliched life of a Westerner. Out of all of the mystery protagonist's grandfather's siblings, the grandfather was the only one to live past 25. The ones who unfortunately died seemed to die rather violent deaths (i.e. by drowning or shooting). I loved the line "They seemed to fear dying in bed." It made me giggle a bit. I guess it just highlights the "rough and tough" nature of the Wild West. I suppose it could also suggest that the Western life was a competition where one had to "out-tough" the other; if someone "died in bed," then that person probably had the stigma of taking easy way out by not putting themselves on the edge. I also enjoyed the inventive use of the word "borning, " which, after I looked on Marriam-Webster, isn't actually a real word. Lastly, I like the last two sentences of the paragraph. "... Cole. John Grady Cole." I found it entertaining because I was reminded of "Bond. James Bond." From McCarthy's writing style, I always think he is an 19th century writer. I don't know why. But the way he referenced James Bond kind of reminded me that he is still very much alive today.

These are my thoughts so far in the book.  Hopefully after I read a bit more my thoughts will change. (:

~xE_Ax

Intro. (:

Hello! Welcome to A Summer's Day~
I named my blog after a warm summer afternoon, when the sun gently warms my hands, when the cool breezes from Lake Michigan lightly brush my hair into my face, when the sweet smell of hibiscus and lemonade tickle and tempt my nose, and when the slight "tink" of golf balls and golf clubs sound in the humid air.
In this atmosphere I love to lie in my hammock with a good book propped in my lap. The view of my garden and the lake and golfers nearby is so serene and comforting, that for the moments I am outside, I forget the troubles and worries that engulf me in the gray-green house behind me.
I've spent many a summer day wasting outside in my hammock - and it is for that precise reason why I've dedicated my blog to those wonderful times. I also named it "A Summer's Day" after my favorite (and most popular)  Shakespeare sonnet: Sonnet 18.
Enjoy! <3